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A review by joshgauthier
Victor Lavalle's Destroyer, Volume 1 by Victor LaValle
4.0
Finding surprising parallels between Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and modern social issues, LaValle's "Destroyer" is not only a story about technology and morality - but it also finds great depth in the age-old examination of the monsters we create and the monsters we ourselves become.
In this graphic novel, science-fiction and monsters meet with timely themes of race and gender conflict. Violence and loss of love have the potential to shape a person, and LaValle's story embraces the tension between rage and hope. Merging social commentary with effective fiction is a difficult balance, and "Destroyer" does not always manage this perfectly - but it succeeds much more often than it stumbles.
Often with simplicity, "Destroyer" draws the reader's attention to immediate questions about technology and social advancement, braiding Shelley's source material with modern themes and futuristic possibility. The result is strong, both as a graphic novel and as a piece of science fiction. LaValle's goals for this story are bold, and for the most part, he and the rest of the creative team achieve them with skill - creating a story that is engaging on the page, but that also turns an eye to the social questions we find ourselves facing today.
In this graphic novel, science-fiction and monsters meet with timely themes of race and gender conflict. Violence and loss of love have the potential to shape a person, and LaValle's story embraces the tension between rage and hope. Merging social commentary with effective fiction is a difficult balance, and "Destroyer" does not always manage this perfectly - but it succeeds much more often than it stumbles.
Often with simplicity, "Destroyer" draws the reader's attention to immediate questions about technology and social advancement, braiding Shelley's source material with modern themes and futuristic possibility. The result is strong, both as a graphic novel and as a piece of science fiction. LaValle's goals for this story are bold, and for the most part, he and the rest of the creative team achieve them with skill - creating a story that is engaging on the page, but that also turns an eye to the social questions we find ourselves facing today.